Entrenched in international research findings on model practices in home and school collaboration in inclusion in education, this descriptive study examined parents' perspectives regarding the inclusion of their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Zimbabwean mainstream early childhood development (ECD) classrooms. Embedded within a…

Early school transitions are exciting, yet challenging, experiences for children with special needs, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and their families. Transition to school support practices can help facilitate this difficult process for key stakeholders. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the literature on transition…

Kate Zimmer's article ("Enhancing Interactions With Children With Autism Through Storybook Reading: A Caregiver's Guide," v20 n3 p133-144 Sep 2017) encourages practitioners to provide information on effective instructional strategies that could increase positive interactions during shared book reading between children who have an autism…

Student-teacher relationship (STR) quality during the early school years has important implications for student adjustment and outcomes. Studies with typically developing (TD) children have identified links between parent behaviors and STRs, but these connections remain unexplored for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study…

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may present sensory processing alterations that are specific to each environment in which they develop, inevitably impacting their daily functioning. Method: The aim of this study is to compare the different types of sensory modulation vulnerabilities (over-responsiveness,…

Functional behavior assessments and function-based interventions are effective methods for addressing the challenging behaviors of children; however, traditional functional analysis has limitations that impact usability in applied settings. Trial-based functional analysis addresses concerns relating to the length of time, level of expertise…

The objective of this study was to identify homogenous classes of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to improve phenotypic characterization. Children were enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development between 2 and 5 years of age. 707 children were classified with ASD after a comprehensive evaluation with strict diagnostic…

Autism is a global phenomenon. Yet, there is a dearth of knowledge of how it is understood and its impact in low-income countries. We examined parents' and professionals' understanding of autism in one low-income country, Nepal. We conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews with parents of autistic and non-autistic children and…

The most researched and effective practice for instructing children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is applied behavior analysis (ABA; Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Reichow, 2012; Smith & Eikeseth, 2011; Virués-Ortega, 2010). ABA is a scientific approach to systematic instruction, data collection, and data analysis based on observable…

Social skills are critical to later success in school and adult life. Typically, children build these through interaction with caregivers and peers. However, some students, especially those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), demonstrate delays in this domain and require additional interventions. While there are a number of…

Much of the policy-and practice-focused research on infant-toddler care and education has been concerned with the issue of program quality. That is, what elements constitute a quality program for infants and toddlers that ensures their ongoing developmental success? Researchers have sought to identify the structural and process indicators…

Paraprofessionals need adequate training and supports to assist young children with autism spectrum disorders to engage in appropriate social interactions during small group activities with their peers. In this study, we used in situ coaching and brief post-session feedback to improve the use of environmental arrangement, prompting, and praise by…

Paraprofessionals need adequate training and supports to assist young children with autism spectrum disorders to engage in appropriate social interactions during small group activities with their peers. In this study, we used in-situ coaching and brief post-session feedback to improve the use of environmental arrangement, prompting, and praise by…

Training and coaching are cited frequently to achieve different goals, by different people, across different fields. "Who" provides training and coaching and "where" and "how" they are provided may influence the effectiveness of the training and coaching efforts, making the clear identification of these contextual…

Early childhood education (ECE) has always been intertwined with the use of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). To support excellence in ECE, it is critical how the knowledge about individual children and child development principles combined with the knowledge of effective early learning practices. Effective early childhood education…